


Monster Under the Bed

by CJtheWeeb



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: But Howard was, M/M, Monster Stephen, No socks were harmed in the making of this, monster au, tags and rating subject to change, teen tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-21
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 01:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16052309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJtheWeeb/pseuds/CJtheWeeb
Summary: Tony knew he was going crazy. He also knew there was a monster underneath his bed.At first it was just little things; a shuffle here, a gentle scratching there. Just his overactive imagination surely, or at worst a mouse.Then his socks started to go missing at a much higher rate than he normally lost them. Tony swore he’d gone through about 30 within a week, much to his mothers’ chagrin. And now he was certain he could hear something beneath his bed every night, breathing so softly it could’ve been a gust of wind to anyone else. Tony was not anyone else.





	1. The Case of the Disappearing Socks

**Author's Note:**

> I saw this prompt by @ironstrange-advent-calendar on tumblr and went a bit nuts with it. It started as a one-shot and now here we are. Please enjoy and let me know what you folks think!
> 
> Im also posting these on @doctormanfan on tumblr.

Tony knew he was going crazy. He also knew there was a monster underneath his bed.  
  
At first it was just little things; a shuffle here, a gentle scratching there. Just his overactive imagination surely, or at worst a mouse.  
  
Then his socks started to go missing at a much higher rate than he normally lost them. Tony swore he’d gone through about 30 within a week, much to his mothers’ chagrin. And now he was certain he could hear something beneath his bed every night, breathing so softly it could’ve been a gust of wind to anyone else. Tony was not anyone else.  
  
_Jesus Christ you’re too old to believe this shit _he thought to himself as he gently padded into his father’s lab. It was afternoon, and Howard Stark, businessman extraordinaire, was once again gone for another trip where he would most certainly smooze and drink to his hearts content. Tony could care less; he had far more pressing matters to attend to. At 17 years old, the young Stark was already a certifiable genius and an inventor to boot. He was certain he could whip up something interesting for his unwanted roommate.__  
  
Glancing around the lab, ideas already whirling a mile a minute in his brain, Tony allowed himself a devious little smirk.  
  
“Nobody steals my socks and gets away with it.”  
  
****  
  
Tony couldn’t help but congratulate himself on his clever plan; even he was impressed by his own brilliance. Nighttime was fast approaching, and he gave one last check to make sure everything was still in working order in the darkness below.  
  
The trap was fairly simple, essentially designed to be a glorified bear trap that would ensnare the intruder and give them a mild shock (he thought giant steel teeth might be a bit harsh even for a sock-monster). The device was thin enough that, in the low light, it blended nearly seamlessly with the floorboards. And for bait, Tony had placed a bright pink sock dotted with little blue flamingos right in the center of the snare. Certainly, no self-respecting sock entrepreneur would pass up such a lovely prize.  
  
Excitement bubbling low in the teens stomach, Tony leaned back with a smirk and buried himself beneath the covers. He was far too tense to sleep, instead opting to hide beneath his covers and snore softly. The thrill was palpable, surely Tony would soon have his visitor right where he wanted him.  
  
Three hours passed. Tony shifted uncomfortably, excitement having long given way to boredom and irritation but still sleepless. He felt absolutely ridiculous.  
  
_Dear God what have I done? I’m in college for Christ’s sake, I’m a SCIENTIST. And here I am having made the worlds shittiest mouse-trap. _Resentment boiled hotly in his chest, ugly thoughts plaguing his head.__  
  
_Howard’s right, the old bastard. I really am useless. Just stupid…stupid stupid stu- ___  
  
BANG  
  
Tony jerked forward, slamming his head solidly against the wall as a noise as loud as a gunshot cracked through the room. The most horrific noise Tony had every heard -a cross between screaming and a wailing cat- ripped through the room, followed by the brief buzz of electricity and then…  
  
Silence.  
  
_What the fuck. What the fuck what the fuckwhatthefuck. ___  
  
His head was pounding, ears ringing, and he was fairly certain there was a nasty lump forming on his forehead already. The smell of ion discharge and burnt hair wafted up from below, and Tony’s eyes widened as he realized what just happened.  
  
_Oh God I fried a mouse. ___  
  
Cautiously, the teen lifted his covers and slid off his bed with an ungraceful thump, head still spinning as he attempted to peer into the darkness below.  
The trap’s snares were still glowing softly, low currents of electricity illuminating a slumped shape pinned to the ground. The figure seemed to be vaguely human, frame not much smaller than Tony himself.  
  
“What. The. Fuck.”  
  
Bright blue eyes snapped open before him, locking eyes with him Tony and freezing him in place. They were shockingly beautiful and almost human, until eyelids slid sideways across them for a brief moment.  
  
Tony could not believe what he was seeing. Words struggled to find their way past his lips.  
  
“You…”  
  
The creature blinked again, squinting furiously at Tony through the surrounding darkness.  
  
“You…you’re the one that stole my socks you FUCK!”


	2. Please

Maybe yelling profanity at an angry monster wasn’t Tony’s best idea ever.  
  
The trapped figure writhed against his bonds, growling viciously and straining to break free, eyes never breaking contact with Tony’s. Before the scientist could warn the squirming figure against moving, electricity flickered brightly through the snares again, causing its victim to howl in pain and slump to the ground. It ceased trying to move, instead whimpering and twitching erratically. The shocking blue eyes disappeared, presumably because they’d been squeezed shut.  
  
Tony felt a pang of sympathy for his newfound prisoner; he knew how it felt to be defenseless and scared, and it wasn’t a feeling he would wish on anyone. Not even this beast in the shadows. It may be a monstrous intruder, but it had never attempted to harm Tony and the noises it was currently making were absolutely pitiful. Hell, it WAS just socks after all. So far the most dangerous thing about it was its desire for Tony’s linen. And GOD he needed to do something to stop its piteous little cries.  
  
“Hey…hey calm down there buddy.” Tony whispered as soothingly as he could, “It’ll shock you more if you keep squirming like that. And if you fry I’m gonna feel responsible for that, and I really don’t need that on my conscience.” The twitching slowed as Tony spoke, until finally the creature was completely still. Tony wasn’t even sure if it was breathing anymore.  
  
“Ah Christ, please don’t be dead.”  
  
To his relief, blue eyes opened and rolled to stare at Tony again, glowing gaze blinking cautiously. It whimpered gently again, as if begging the teen knelt before the bed to help it. _Oh god he sounds like a kicked puppy. What the hell am I gonna do now!? ___  
  
It dawned on Tony that he had never actually made a plan of how to dispose of his target once he’d captured it. If he was honest with himself, he’d never really thought he’d get this far, and now here he was staring dumbfounded at some monstrous creature with no plan of attack. _I can’t just leave it there right? I’d never get any sleep with all that racket…oh who am I kidding. The guilt would kill me first. Jesus what do you do with a monster, sell it on Craigslist? No no, too many perverts and monster fuckers on there. Maybe I could- ___  
  
_“…pleAaSeee.” ___  
  
Tony’s head snapped up, realizing he had been lost in thought. That came as no real surprise, he let his thoughts runaway all to often, but what did stun him was that what seemed to have dragged him out of his worried contemplation was a harsh whisper emanating from the trapped creature. He blinked rapidly. _Did that thing just fucking SPEAK!? Oh God this night was getting really weird. ___  
  
The thing whined and shifted carefully, glowing eyes never leaving Tony’s face. Not even blinking.  
  
_“Please,” _it murmured again, slightly clearer than before. Its voice reminded Tony of the old door to the attic creaking open, rusty and creaking with disuse. There was something else there too, under that strange tone. Something bordering hope. And also fear. Lots of fear.__  
  
_Okay. This thing is definitely going to eat you, _Tony thought to himself. It was probably trying to trick him into releasing it with that mournful keening noise it kept making, only so it could snatch him up and use his bones as a toothpick. _There is absolutely no way you should let it free. No way in hell. _____  
  
“Do you want me to set you free?”  
  
_Damnit. ___  
  
Icy eyes gazed back, unwavering and…good God was it crying?  
  
_“Pleaaaaaaase.” ___  
  
Tony paused for a moment – but only for a moment – before nodding slowly.  
  
“Okay.”  
  
_Well at least I get to die in an interesting way, _Tony thought bitterly as he moved to release the clasp that would deactivate his trap. _Maybe I’ll be the next big murder mystery, they’ll make tv specials about how I was brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances. Goodie. _Curse him and his bleeding heart and those big, magnetic puppy dog eyes that watched his every move. How could a monster even _pull _puppy dog eyes? And why was he allowing it to affect him?______  
  
Hand shaking oh-so-subtly, Tony reached out and grasp the mechanism, turning to look at his prisoner one last time. He grunted, “I swear to God if you kill me I will be so pissed off. I’m doing you a favor, you know that right?”  
  
Glimmering eyes blinked.  
  
Tony turned back to the clasp, muttering “Great, _greaaat _, very reassuring of you. I hope I taste like shit and you choke on my bones.”__  
  
And with that, he released the trap.  
  
****  
  
There was a blur of movement, so fast that Tony could hardly blink, and suddenly he fell onto his back as a clawed, clammy hand wrapped around his ankle and yanked him beneath the bed. Electric eyes stared directly into his, a presence settling on top of him and pining him into place as harsh breath blew against his face.  
  
Naturally, Tony screamed.  
  
“Oh my GOD PLEASE D-DON’T EAT ME! Oh what the shit whattheSHIT listen I…I swear I’m too stringy to eat you’ll be pulling me out of you teeth for days it’ll be awful! I have SO many SOCKS, you can have them all just PLEA-”  
  
What felt like a gnarled hand wrapped around the panicking teens mouth, muffling his cries and making it significantly harder to breath. The creature appeared to lean in impossibly close, luminous gaze blocking out Tony’s field of vision; not that it matter, it was so dark under the bedframe that only the beasts’ vague silhouette could be seen anyways.  
  
It cocked its head sideways, eyes scrunching slightly at the corners, and made gentle guttural noises as if it was trying to cough something up. Finally, it seemed to settle on repeating Tony, rasping out _“Please?” _in a curious tone.__  
The suffocating hand lifted a fraction and Tony gasped out, nodding furiously and echoing “Please, yes please. Please please plea-“  
  
The hand clamped down once more as the creature seemed to grow irritated with Tony’s incessant noise. Its gaze pierced Tony’s, and the trapped genius felt as if it was looking straight into his soul.  
  
Hell, maybe that was EXACTLY what it was doing.  
  
_“…okay.” ___  
  
Suddenly, and with dizzying force, Tony found himself ejected from under the bed and sliding across his floor at speeds previously unknown to humankind. He skidded to a stop, wheezed breathlessly as he fought the urge to hurl, and shakily rose onto his elbows. Shadows swirled beneath his bed as the creature shifted around, undoubtedly testing his newfound movement. Shocking flashes of azure appeared each time its eyes faced Tony, no longer paying attention to the sputtering teenager lying uselessly on the floor.  
  
He wasn’t sure, but it the noises it was making sounded an awful lot like hissing laughter to Tony.  
  
“Dickhead,” he muttered softly, attempting to stand and promptly slamming down onto his ass.  
  
The laughter intensified.  
  
_“Dickhead. Diiickhead. Dickheaaad,” _the creature spat with glee, testing the word and seeming to enjoy it greatly.__  
  
“Oh SHUT UP you! Just because you didn’t eat me doesn’t mean you get to act like an ass!” Tony cried indignantly, much to the apparent delight of the mass of darkness. Tony grabbed the nearest thing to him, an grungy old tank-top, and hurled it beneath his bed. “A THANK YOU would be _nice _you prick!”__  
  
The tank-top slapped stupidly against the wall behind the shadows, causing another bout of cruel giggling to erupt.  
  
Tony groaned as his head fell back. _This is undoubtedly the weirdest shit to ever happen to me. Should’ve strangled that dusty bitch when I had the chance. ___  
  
As if hearing Tony’s bitter thoughts, the creature suddenly stopped moving, holding stock-still as its strange eyes bore into Tony’s once more, glinting in the low light. Tony held his breath, wondering if he’d just managed to get himself eaten again.  
  
The air was deathly still as the creature contemplated the human before it. It gurgled slightly, as if trying to speak but finding the words trapped in it throat. Finally, it rasped out again in that bizarre, strained voice.  
_“Thank…you…” ___  
  
Tony blinked rapidly.  
  
“Uh…you’re welcome buddy.  
  
Confidently now, it grated, _“Thank you dickhead.” ___  
  
Alright. Not the greatest way to start a dialogue with a supernatural creature but Tony would take it. Maybe if he kept this creature happy and talking he could actually figure out what it was.  
  
“No worries man. Hey, and uh…my name’s Tony. Please call me Tony okay? Not…the other thing.” He avoided saying the word again, fearful that it would stick if he did. Tony did NOT need some hellbeast calling him a dickhead every night.  
  
_“Tooonyyyy,” _the creature mouthed, testing the way the new word sounded with relish. It moved closer to the edge of the bed, and Tony swore he saw a flash of pale skin and a mop of dark hair streaked with grey.__ ********_"Tonyyyyyy. Tony Tony Tony." ___  
  
“Yeah, yeah, Tony. That’s…that’s watchya call me buddy,” Tony stammered. “And, uh, what do I call you?”  
  
_“Buddyyyyyy.” ___  
  
Tony narrowly avoided rolling his eyes. “No, see, that’s not a name okay? You gotta tell me your name.”  
  
A series of harsh clicking noises and grunts emanated from under the bed.  
  
“Um…alright that’s not helpful in the slightest. Can you try it in, like, English maybe?”  
  
Tony was sure the thing frowned, eyes shifting to stare at the ground in consideration. Little noises bubbled from the darkness, irritated growls and confused grunts as it seemed to attempt answer Tony’s request.  
  
Suddenly, its eyes snapped back to Tony’s as it cried out in evident pleasure.  
  
_“Stephen.” ___  
  
And with that, the monster was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stephen's a little shit and that's the way I like it. 
> 
> I wrote this at about three in the morning so do forgive me for any errors. Thank you all for the positive feedback so far, it's the kick in the butt I need to keep writing. As before, please let me know what you think! I'd love to know!

**Author's Note:**

> Part two out soon my dears


End file.
